I actually want to do this. This is brilliant!
Full credit to Adam and Misti Yerton who own this wonderful clock, and have provided a guide to how it was made.
Category: Uncategorized
Why RVs are better than hotels
Chuck Woodbury nails it in this video:
Shortstop: Balmorhea State Park, TX
Long before the Spanish and European explorers ever came to what is now thought of as the Big Bend country of Texas the native Americans depended on this oasis created by the artesian springs of this vicinity. This is dry country and these springs, now called San Solomon Springs, offer welcome relief and surprising life in the desert. Farmers have used the spring water for irrigation since the 1850’s and in 1938 a large V-shaped pool was formed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. After driving nearly 200 miles from El Paso across high, dry desert, this state park remains a welcome oasis for travelers and a popular swimming hole for the locals and – get this – a place for scuba divers to use their gear in the 25 foot deep pool out here in this dry, dry country. Bahmorhea State Park offers water/electric campsites as well as rental cottages. Many of the campsites are pull through and all have covered shelters. My Verizon phone had pretty good 4G and real strong 3G. We enjoyed a swim in the pool with it’s crystal clear waters which remain a consistent 72-76 degrees year round – this just a short stroll from our campsite. Thousands of small fish surrounded us. The pool has a few small catfish and turtles as well. We also saw a fairly large snakeskin on the sidewalk by the pool. Didn’t see the snake though – no complaints about that. In addition to the spring we enjoyed wonderful star-lit skies at night. The Milky Way is in plain view here on the desert plains of West Texas. We had a curious roadrunner (beep-beep) checking out our campsite during the day and, yes, we heard the call of coyotes at night. My only complaints are the lack of sewer hookups in the campground and bathrooms that need some updating and TLC. I’m sure that this state park will be on our itinerary on future trips across west Texas on I10.
Shortstop: El Paso West RV Park – Anthony, NM
This RV park, located near I10 and just a mile or so from the Texas state line, got good reviews and offered an Escapees discount so we decided to give it a try. It has several level pull through sites as well as back in’s located on the parameter of the property. The clientele is a mixture of long term residents who are working in the area and short stay travelers like us. The pull through sites are “back to back” and long enough to allow tow vehicles to stay hooked up. The restrooms are modern and clean and the folks running the place are friendly and welcoming. We found the campground to be a bit noisy. Working people started their day early and overnight campers were anxious to get on the road. It just so happens that we were given the site right next to the dumpsters and we could smell them, not in our camper, but any time we were outside. Nothing I’ve said is a real big deal but it did add up to a less than restful night for us. We would return to this place, but I think I’d lobby for a site a bit farther from the dumpsters.
Campground Review: Verde Valley Thousand Trails, Cottonwood, AZ
We’ve enjoyed our time here at Verde Valley Thousand Trails, just south of Cottonwood, AZ. Off hand I say this particular Thousand Trails is one of our favorites so far. The campground is bordered by the Verde River, which can flash flood into impressive proportions but is generally a docile stream and not really visible from the campground. The setting is desert but with enough trees to provide some welcome shade. Many campsites have patches of green grass which is watered and protected by “keep pets off the grass” signs.
There are a variety of campsite configurations. Many of those that are pull through are “double sites” in which two campers are parked back to back, pointing in opposite directions. However, even in that configuration there’s usually a larger “front yard” that is shared with the one of the campers in the next double site. It’s a workable setup and those sites are quite popular. We picked a back in site that is rather deep but not very wide. As it turned out we didn’t have neighbors on either side of us so we had plenty of elbow room.
The campground has added cabins and, in addition to the campground set aside specifically for long term use has sold several sites for annual use. Still, there have been many nice sites available all the time we’ve been here. This, though, is a popular campground and there are certain times of the year when it is full.
This campground is a real winner for Thousand Trails and we’re already looking forward to future visits here.
South Tillamook County Library Pacific City, Oregon
Pacific City, Oregon Public Library
6200 Camp Street, Pacific City, Oregon 97135
This lovely welcoming library is part of the Tillamook County Library System. The free wifi 24 hours a day is a great asset to this community with all the tourism that comes to the beach. There is also a variety of materials for all ages and a comfortable area where parents can interact with their children. Around the Library are comfortable chairs for reading and tables to spread out if needed. One sculpture in the Children’s area that caught my eye is “Philbert” the Oregon Beaver. It was handcrafted by Jim Stober in 1988. Beside the library is a community garden with all produce going to local food banks. This is a welcoming place for a get away from the crowds on the beach.
2014 Coupville Washington Library
Coupeville Public Library
Coupeville, WA 98239-0745
Coupeville Public Library http://www.sno-isle.org/locations/coupeville/ is part of the SNO-ISLE Libraries serving Snohomish and Island counties.
This lovely library in Coupeville has several displays set up to encourage reading by all ages. The building is inviting with places to set and read, public access to the internet and many windows giving it an open feeling. What caught my eye was the beautiful arch over the entrance to the children’s department and the Large Print collection near the reading area. The Friends of the Library have a book sale area near the entrance.
Peace Arch and Vicinity: Blaine, WA – Vancouver, BC
On the USA side
After riding the bus back to our stop we went to a large downtown Dollar Store. I liked looking at the variety of things on sale there. It was time for a break so we decided to find a place to get some coffee. We’d heard a lot about Tim Horton’s and we were pleased to see one nearby. Tim Horton’s lived up to it’s billing and we enjoyed some excellent coffee. While drinking our coffee, we enjoyed watching all the hustle and bustle of the city as rush hour was winding down. We then caught the train back to our stop and headed back toward the USA. Since we had some Canadian money left we decided to stop in one of the towns along the freeway to eat dinner. To our surprise we realized there was no way back onto the highway! We got an extra tour of the town of White Rock, BC as we searched for a highway entrance. We now know, for instance, where the local Walmart is! Before long, though, we were waiting in line to cross the border back into the USA. We sat in a long line of traffic for about 20 minutes right beside the Peace Arch waiting our turn to show our passports and answer a few questions. By the time we made it back to our campground it was about 9:30pm (not quite dark here in the northwestern United States).
We had a lot of fun visiting Vancouver and I recommend it to you.
Campground review: Dead Horse Point State Park, UT
Everywhere I looked on the internet people recommended Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, UT. Now, I’m happy to add my recommendation for this beautiful park. The “point” in this case is a point of land looking out over the canyons that include Canyonlands National Park, as much as 2000 feet below. Many have compared this view with that of the Grand Canyon, high praise indeed. Every day this state park is filled with people who include the superlative view at the “point” in their trip to the national park.
The campground is very popular and a prospective camper will want to make reservations well in advance of arrival, although there are just a few drive up sites available. Generally speaking, the campground is full night after night. There are only 25 sites and only around a third of them will accommodate a larger camper. I saw one 40’ motorhome arrive about dark. They looked at their site, realized they would never fit, and drove on out of the park. (Hopefully, they knew about the BLM Horsethief Campground nearby.) Also, the sites aren’t especially level. Most of them lean to the front or to the back but are okay side to side. Our 35’ 5th wheel pretty much used all the room available in our pull through site.
My Verizon phone worked, but data was intermittent and at times neither 3G nor 4G worked, even using a signal booster. At other times, I had a fairly decent data flow.
The sites all have 50 amp power, no water, and no sewer. Also, there is no water for a RV’s fresh water tanks in the campground. The nearest camper water tank fill up is available at the Shell station/RV park 20 miles away at the intersection of Highways 191 and 313.
However, I’ll add that there are modern, flush toilets in the campground. Also, there’s a sink with running water where dishes can be washed and drinking water containers can be filled. There’s also a dump station with a water faucet that can be used to rinse hoses, etc.
If you can get a spot that you can fit in, Dead Horse Point State Park is a terrific base of operations for visits to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and the Moab area in general. It’s not only handy for touring the area, but it’s a destination in its own right.
2014 Canyonlands National Park, Utah
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Canyonlands NP although we only saw the Island in the Sky and not The Maze or The Needles. Island in the Sky has good roads and is relatively easy to access. The other two are more remote requiring hiking and 4-wheeled vehicles. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and looked at the displays and watched the video introducing the park. I was surprised that in spite of it’s beauty Canyonlands was not made a National Park until 1964.
We followed the main route and took the short hike to Mesa Arch. While we were driving and talking about the park I accidentally said it was an “abunderful” place and it truly is both abundant and beautiful. Each overlook is breath-taking and the main stops are easy walks. Canyonlands National Park has been called the Grand Canyon of Utah. I can see the resemblance with its amazing canyons, beautiful colors, towers, and views of the Green and Colorado Rivers. We hope to visit this “abunderful” place again someday.